Referrals are kept for a minimum of 1 year/ 365 days after they are sent/received or transcribed in Ocean. This is the default storage time for a referral if no other actions are taken.
Note: eReferrals received in Ocean via a Website Form (i.e., configured with a 'Website Form Type' of 'eReferral') are kept for a minimum of 180 days by default if no other actions are taken.
A deletion warning email is sent 14 days ahead of the purge deadline. Clinics may choose to extend the purge date of the referral using the actions described below.
Actions That Extend the Purge Deadline
The actions listed below can extend the storage time/purge deadline beyond the default 365 day storage time.
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Adding an Appointment Date
The referral will be kept for 30 days after the last booked appointment in Ocean. If this date falls before the 365-day mark, the referral will be kept for the default 365 days. * -
Adding an 'Anticipated Wait Time to Appointment'
If an anticipated wait time is added to the referral, it will be stored for the wait time period plus 60 days, calculated from the date the referral was originally received/entered in Ocean.- Example: Referral is received on January 1st, 2024. An anticipated wait time of 14-18 months is added on March 1st, 2024 (2 months after receipt) The referral will be kept until May 1st, 2025 (14 months after January 1st, 2024, plus 60 days)
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Forwarding to Another Directory Listing
The referral purge deadline will be 1 year after the latest forward date. -
Flagging for Review
The eReferral/eConsult will be kept for 1 year after the referral was flagged for review using the 'Needs Review' feature. -
Manually Extending the Purge Deadline
Clicking the refresh button on the referral (from the 'Deletion Warnings' folder list view) will extend the purge deadline by 60 days.
*NOTE: If a referral is sent to a Rapid Access Clinic/Assessment Center listing, the purge deadline will be 1 year from the initial assessment date.
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Checking the Purge Deadline for an eConsult/eReferral
- To check the purge deadline for an eConsult/eReferral at any time, click on the 'Action' menu in the referral and select 'View Event Log'. The scheduled purge date will be displayed at the bottom of the event log.
